In the heart of the ruined city of Seraphiel, the wind howled a mournful tune, dragging with it the ashes of the past battle. The blood on the rubble had not yet dried, and the heavy silence was filled with unspoken words. Shao stood at the outskirts of the shattered city, his eyes fixed on the distance where the sunset mingled with the glow of unextinguished fires, as if bearing witness to all that had passed.
"Silence… is sometimes louder than war itself," Shao murmured, clenching his fist.
Behind him, Celia stepped forward cautiously, her eyes carrying a mixed look of caution and pity.
"We're late, aren't we?" she whispered, as the shadows of destruction weighed heavily on her voice.
Shao did not reply, but bent down and picked up a shard from a broken mask—the mask once worn by one of the Black Temple soldiers they had defeated before. It was not the mask that caught his attention, but the mark engraved on its surface: the symbol of the inverted eye—the same symbol that had appeared in his nightmares… and haunted his childhood.
A sharp voice cut through the stillness of the moment.
"Shao!" came a distant shout. It was Ryan, running while gasping for breath, his body covered in wounds—but what drew their attention was what he carried: an ancient map from the temple scrolls.
"I found this in the underground archives… There's something we missed. The Shadow Gate was only the prelude. They are trying to open the true gate… the Gate of Origin."
Shao stared at the map with frozen eyes, then muttered: "The Gate of Origin… that explains the nightmares… and the whispers."
Celia looked at him worriedly, "What whispers?"
"Those only heard by those cursed with the bloodline."
At that moment, Aster stepped out from the rubble, wearing a tattered cloak but still holding onto her usual dignity.
"It's not just a curse… it's the echo of the Nine Kings' sins. Those who hear the whispers… are destined to decide the fate of worlds."
Everyone looked at him silently, as if his words were the key to another gateway of terror.
Shao turned his face toward the horizon and said,
"I will go. Alone."
Celia: "We won't let you go alone!"
Aster took a step forward, placing his hand on Shao's shoulder, saying,
"In the ancient philosophy of Varan, it is said: 'He who walks alone toward the shadows may find the light—or be lost forever.' But you are not alone, Shao."
Shao smiled bitterly,
"Maybe I no longer need the light… maybe I am the shadow itself."
That night, the heroes gathered around a small fire in a temporary camp, the sky raining soft meteors as if they were tears of the stars. They exchanged glances, each knowing the next chapter of their journey would not be one of easy returns… if returns were possible at all.
Suddenly, lightning struck the sky, and a mighty roar echoed from afar… a sound like the primal growl of a beast.
Aster stood quickly:
"That's not an earthquake… it's a summoning."
Shao slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, his gaze steadier than ever.
"They have begun… I won't let them finish what the kings started."
Amid the tense silence, they heard the sound again… but it was not just a roar this time, it carried words:
> "Intruders… you are but pawns on a forgotten board…
The gate will open, whether you will it or not."
And thus ends a new chapter… as the true storm begins.